William Shawn
Encyclopedia
William Shawn was an American
magazine editor who edited The New Yorker
from 1952 until 1987.
after two years (1925–1927) and went to Las Vegas, New Mexico
, where he worked on the local paper, the Optic. He returned to Chicago and worked as a journalist. Around 1930 he changed the spelling of his last name to "Shawn." In 1932, he and his wife, Cecille, went to New York City, where he tried to start a career as a composer. Soon after their arrival, Cecille took a fact-checking job at The New Yorker, and her husband began working there in 1933. He would stay at the magazine for 53 years.
. In 1946, he persuaded the magazine's founder and editor, Harold Ross
, to run John Hersey
's story about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
as the entire contents of one issue. He left for a few months shortly after that to write on his own, but soon returned. A few weeks after Ross died in December 1951, Shawn was named editor.
Shawn's quiet style was a marked contrast to Ross's noisy manner. Whereas Ross constantly wrote letters to his contributors, Shawn hated to share anything, especially on paper. His shyness was office (and New York) legend, as were his claustrophobia and fear of elevators; many of his colleagues maintain that he carried a hatchet in his briefcase, in case he became trapped. He was secretive, aloof, and cryptic about his plans for the magazine and its contents. Shawn would buy articles and then not run them for years, if ever. Members of the staff were given offices and salaries, even if they produced little for the magazine; Joseph Mitchell, at one time a writer whose work appeared regularly, continued to come to his office from 1965 until his death in 1996 without ever publishing another word. But Shawn did give writers vast amounts of space to cover their subjects, and nearly all of them spoke reverently of him. J.D. Salinger, in particular, adored him, dedicating his Franny and Zooey
to Shawn.
bought the magazine in 1985, the new owners promised that the magazine's editorship would not change hands until Shawn chose to retire. But speculation about Shawn's successor, a longtime topic of publishing-world chatter, grew. Shawn had been editor for a very long time, and the usual criticism of the magazine—that it had become stale and dull—was growing more pointed. Advance chairman S.I. Newhouse forced Shawn out in February 1987, and—after reportedly telling Shawn that he would honor his request to name his deputy Charles McGrath to succeed him—replaced Shawn with Robert Gottlieb
, the editor-in-chief at the well-regarded book publisher Alfred A. Knopf
. Shawn was given office space in the Brill Building
by Saturday Night Live
executive producer Lorne Michaels
, a longtime admirer, and soon took an editorship at Farrar, Straus and Giroux
, a largely honorary post that he held until his death in New York City in 1992.
In 1988, he received the George Polk career award.
. The other son, Allen Shawn
, a composer, married New Yorker writer Jamaica Kincaid
. Allen's twin sister, Mary, is autistic and lives in an institution in Delaware. In 2007 Allen Shawn published a memoir, Wish I Could Be There, centering on his own phobias. In 1996, Shawn's longtime New Yorker colleague Lillian Ross
revealed in a memoir that she and Shawn had had an affair from 1950 until his death, with Mrs. Shawn's knowledge. Ross reported that Shawn was active in the upbringing of Ross's adopted son, Erik.
by Bob Balaban
. In 1998, the Indian author Ved Mehta
, who had worked with Shawn at The New Yorker for almost three decades, published a biography of Shawn entitled Remembering Mr. Shawn's New Yorker: The Invisible Art of Editing.
United
-Travel:* United Airlines* United Automobile Services, a bus operator in England, now merged with the Arriva Group* United Bus, a bus manufacturing group-Sports:...
magazine editor who edited The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
from 1952 until 1987.
Education and Early Life
"Mr. Shawn", as he was nearly always known, was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Benjiman T. and Anna (née Bransky) Chon. He was the youngest of five siblings including Harold Irwin (1892-1967), Melba (born 1894), Nelson Allen (born 1898), and Myron Edward Chon (1902-1987). Chon dropped out of the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
after two years (1925–1927) and went to Las Vegas, New Mexico
Las Vegas, New Mexico
Las Vegas is a city in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Once two separate municipalities both named Las Vegas, west Las Vegas and east Las Vegas , divided by the Gallinas River, retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts. The population was 14,565 at the 2000...
, where he worked on the local paper, the Optic. He returned to Chicago and worked as a journalist. Around 1930 he changed the spelling of his last name to "Shawn." In 1932, he and his wife, Cecille, went to New York City, where he tried to start a career as a composer. Soon after their arrival, Cecille took a fact-checking job at The New Yorker, and her husband began working there in 1933. He would stay at the magazine for 53 years.
Time at The New Yorker
Shawn rose to assistant editor of The New Yorker and oversaw the magazine's coverage of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1946, he persuaded the magazine's founder and editor, Harold Ross
Harold Ross
Harold Wallace Ross was an American journalist and founder of The New Yorker magazine, which he edited from the magazine's inception in 1925 to his death....
, to run John Hersey
John Hersey
John Richard Hersey was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer and journalist considered one of the earliest practitioners of the so-called New Journalism, in which storytelling devices of the novel are fused with non-fiction reportage...
's story about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
as the entire contents of one issue. He left for a few months shortly after that to write on his own, but soon returned. A few weeks after Ross died in December 1951, Shawn was named editor.
Shawn's quiet style was a marked contrast to Ross's noisy manner. Whereas Ross constantly wrote letters to his contributors, Shawn hated to share anything, especially on paper. His shyness was office (and New York) legend, as were his claustrophobia and fear of elevators; many of his colleagues maintain that he carried a hatchet in his briefcase, in case he became trapped. He was secretive, aloof, and cryptic about his plans for the magazine and its contents. Shawn would buy articles and then not run them for years, if ever. Members of the staff were given offices and salaries, even if they produced little for the magazine; Joseph Mitchell, at one time a writer whose work appeared regularly, continued to come to his office from 1965 until his death in 1996 without ever publishing another word. But Shawn did give writers vast amounts of space to cover their subjects, and nearly all of them spoke reverently of him. J.D. Salinger, in particular, adored him, dedicating his Franny and Zooey
Franny and Zooey
Franny and Zooey is a book by American author J.D. Salinger which comprises his short story, "Franny", and novella, Zooey. The two works were published together as a book in 1961; the two stories originally appeared in The New Yorker in 1955 and 1957, respectively...
to Shawn.
Later years
When Advance PublicationsAdvance Publications
Advance Publications, Inc., is an American media company owned by the descendants of S.I. Newhouse Sr., Donald Newhouse and S.I. Newhouse, Jr. It is named after the Staten Island Advance, the first newspaper owned by the Newhouse family...
bought the magazine in 1985, the new owners promised that the magazine's editorship would not change hands until Shawn chose to retire. But speculation about Shawn's successor, a longtime topic of publishing-world chatter, grew. Shawn had been editor for a very long time, and the usual criticism of the magazine—that it had become stale and dull—was growing more pointed. Advance chairman S.I. Newhouse forced Shawn out in February 1987, and—after reportedly telling Shawn that he would honor his request to name his deputy Charles McGrath to succeed him—replaced Shawn with Robert Gottlieb
Robert Gottlieb
Robert Adams Gottlieb , is an American writer and editor. From 1987 to 1992 he was the editor of The New Yorker.-Personal:Robert Gottlieb was born in New York City in 1931 and grew up in Manhattan...
, the editor-in-chief at the well-regarded book publisher Alfred A. Knopf
Alfred A. Knopf
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. is a New York publishing house, founded by Alfred A. Knopf, Sr. in 1915. It was acquired by Random House in 1960 and is now part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group at Random House. The publishing house is known for its borzoi trademark , which was designed by co-founder...
. Shawn was given office space in the Brill Building
Brill Building
The Brill Building is an office building located at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and further uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood...
by Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
executive producer Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels, CM is a Canadian-American television producer, writer, and comedian best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live and producing the various film and TV projects that spun off from it.-Early life:...
, a longtime admirer, and soon took an editorship at Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Farrar, Straus and Giroux is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger W. Straus, Jr. and John C. Farrar. Known primarily as Farrar, Straus in its first decade of existence, the company was renamed several times, including Farrar, Straus and Young and Farrar, Straus and Cudahy...
, a largely honorary post that he held until his death in New York City in 1992.
In 1988, he received the George Polk career award.
Personal life
Shawn married Cecille Lyon (1906-2005) in 1928, and the couple had three children. One is the writer and character actor Wallace ShawnWallace Shawn
Wallace Michael Shawn , sometimes credited as Wally Shawn, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, author, voice artist, and intellectual. His best-known film roles include Wally Shawn in My Dinner with Andre , Vizzini in The Princess Bride , and debate teacher Mr...
. The other son, Allen Shawn
Allen Shawn
Allen Shawn is an American composer, pianist, educator, and author who lives in Vermont.-His music:Among Shawn's available recordings are several of chamber music, a collection of piano music, and his Piano Concerto performed by Ursula Oppens with the Albany Symphony Orchestra under the direction...
, a composer, married New Yorker writer Jamaica Kincaid
Jamaica Kincaid
Jamaica Kincaid is a Caribbean novelist, gardener, and gardening writer. She was born in the city of St. John's on the island of Antigua in the nation of Antigua and Barbuda...
. Allen's twin sister, Mary, is autistic and lives in an institution in Delaware. In 2007 Allen Shawn published a memoir, Wish I Could Be There, centering on his own phobias. In 1996, Shawn's longtime New Yorker colleague Lillian Ross
Lillian Ross (journalist)
Lillian Ross is an American journalist and author who has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1945. She was born in Syracuse, New York, the daughter of Louis and Edna Ross. With the exception of her memoir Here but Not Here, about her relationship with William Shawn, she has been...
revealed in a memoir that she and Shawn had had an affair from 1950 until his death, with Mrs. Shawn's knowledge. Ross reported that Shawn was active in the upbringing of Ross's adopted son, Erik.
Influences
He was portrayed in the 2005 film CapoteCapote (film)
Capote is a 2005 biographical film about Truman Capote, following the events during the writing of Capote's non-fiction book In Cold Blood. Philip Seymour Hoffman won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his critically acclaimed portrayal of the title role. The movie was...
by Bob Balaban
Bob Balaban
Robert Elmer "Bob" Balaban is an American actor, author and director.-Personal life:Balaban was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Eleanor and Elmer Balaban, who owned several movie theatres and later was a pioneer in cable television...
. In 1998, the Indian author Ved Mehta
Ved Mehta
Ved Parkash Mehta is a writer who was born in Lahore, British India to a Hindu family. He lost his sight at the age of four as the result of an attack of cerebrospinal meningitis...
, who had worked with Shawn at The New Yorker for almost three decades, published a biography of Shawn entitled Remembering Mr. Shawn's New Yorker: The Invisible Art of Editing.